Breaking Down Attachment Styles

Attachment Theory and Research

In 1969, Dr. Mary Ainsworth conducted an experiment known as the “Strange Situation”, and a strange situation it was! The experiment consisted of a series of three-minute intervals. First, a baby would be in a room with their mother and the researcher. Then, the researcher would leave, leaving the mother and baby alone. Next, a stranger entered and after another three minutes, the mother left the baby with the stranger. The mother then returned and the stranger left. After that, the mother left again, leaving the baby alone by itself for the first time. Finally, the stranger returned and after another three minutes, the mother returned and the stranger left. 

Researchers were looking for several key behaviors. Did the infant explore their environment? Did they become anxious when their mother left or when the stranger was present? How did the baby respond when their mother returned?

Between the work of Dr. Mary Ainsworth and Dr. John Bowlby, this research led to the development of three primary attachment styles, with a fourth being added later. The original three were: secure attachment, insecure avoidant, and insecure ambivalent or resistant attachment. 

 Secure Attachment

A secure attachment is what most caregivers hope to foster. In the experiment, these infants would become upset when their mother left but were quickly soothed upon her return. They tended to avoid the stranger when they were alone, but were more open and friendly to the stranger when their mother was present. 

Insecure Avoidant

Infants with insecure avoidant attachment showed little to no change whenever the mother would leave the room and would happily play with the stranger. Whenever the mother would return, it was as if nothing changed. 

Insecure Ambivalent

Infants with insecure ambivalent attachment would become very upset whenever the mother left the room and would be fearful of the stranger. When their mother did return, the ambivalent infants would approach the mother, but reject contact. 

Effects on Later Life

For those with secure attachment styles, this foundation usually leads to lower levels of depression, anxiety or self-consciousness. They also were more likely to be extraverted, open to new experiences, show higher levels of autonomy and personal growth and form more positive relationships. However for those that showed avoidant or ambivalent attachments at a young age, the problems were widespread. There were issues in their interactions with others and their environment and they were less accepting of themselves. They also struggled with lower resilience, increased psychological rigidity and had an overall lower psychological well-being (Sagone et al., 2023). 

A Secure Base

So how do we help form secure attachments? Building off of their work, Dr. Ainsworth and Bowlby introduced the concept of the secure base, which they describe as “the foundation of security and survival that encourages children to reach out for protection when they are distressed” (Ainsworth & Bowlby, 1991). 

As seen in the experiment, infants with secure attachments were avoidant of the stranger when alone but when their caregiver was present, they would interact with the stranger but more importantly, they would explore the world around them. The caregiver acted as a secure base, which is the sense of safety that we aim to provide. 

Of course, life happens. There are times when events or experiences disrupt family dynamics despite best efforts. In those moments, therapeutic intervention can be helpful. In therapy, the therapist can act as a form of the secure base, creating a space where the individual or family can explore their patterns, better understand family dynamics, and begin to work through where they may feel “stuck”(Bowlby, 2008). 

About the Author

Thanks for reading! My name is Christian Arbogast, and I am a Registered Mental Health Counseling Intern at Incremental Care. I work primarily with children, adolescents, and teens who feel overwhelmed or struggle navigating their emotions.

My approach incorporates expressive modalities such as sandtray and somatic therapy, helping clients process experiences in ways that go beyond words. If you’re interested in learning more or considering starting your therapeutic journey, I would be honored to walk alongside you.

Feel free to reach out at chris@incrementalcare.com or 407-279-0468 to schedule a free, no obligation 20-minute consultation.

Resources

Ainsworth, M. D. S., & Bowlby, J. (1991). An ethological approach to personality development. American Psychologist, 46(4), 333–341. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.46.4.333 

Bowlby, J. (2008). A secure base: Parent-child attachment and healthy human development. Basic Books. 

Hazan, C., & Shaver, P. R. (2017). Romantic love conceptualized as an attachment process. In Interpersonal development (pp. 283–296). Routledge.

Sagone, E., Commodari, E., Indiana, M. L., & La Rosa, V. L. (2023). Exploring the association between attachment style, psychological well-being, and relationship status in young adults and adults—A cross-sectional study. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 20(6), Article 4956. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20064956 

Simply Psychology. (n.d.). Mary Ainsworth. https://www.simplypsychology.org/mary-ainsworth.html 

University of Derby. (n.d.). The strange situation: Mary Ainsworth (1969). The Strange Situation page